“…The lawsuit seeks damages of $6 million dollars, $5 million for negligence and $1 million for loss of consortium…”
“…The Virginia resident who filed the claim reportedly spent 6 weeks in the hospital suffering a number of severe medical conditions and that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills…”
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced the illnesses in October 2011, which occurred after the individuals stayed at an Ocean City hotel. The hotel was later closed for several days to perform tests on the water systems to try and locate the bacteria that cause the disease. Earlier this month, it was reported that one of those who contracted Legionnaires’ disease while staying at the hotel has filed a lawsuit against the hotel.Â
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- Each year, between 8,000 and 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease in the U.S.
- It is believed that many infections are not diagnosed or reported, so this number may be significantly higher.
- More cases are usually found in the summer and early fall, but it can occur any time of year.
- “Legionnaires’ disease is caused by Legionella bacteria,â€
- “Legionella bacteria can sometimes be found in manmade environments that contain warm water.Â
- These may include hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large plumbing systems, or parts of the air-conditioning systems in large buildings.Â
- Proactive testing for Legionella can help prevent outbreaks of the disease.Â
- If an outbreak has occurred, testing for the bacteria can pinpoint sources of the potentially deadly pathogen to prevent further illnesses,â€
